Los Gatos doctor arrested on drug charges

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Dr. Marvin Bonham, the medical director of the Valley Health Plan, Health and Hospital System of Santa Clara, is charged with 18 felonies, accused oftrading prescriptions for powerful drugs including Oxycontin in return for cash and methamphetamines.County,

A Los Gatos doctor has been arrested and charged with 18 drug-related felonies, including trading prescriptions for powerful drugs such as Oxycontin in return for cash and methamphetamines.

Dr. Marvin Bonham, who is the medical director of the Valley Health Plan, allegedly wrote more than half of his prescriptions for county residents who had criminal drug histories and offered to give minors methamphetamines. The district attorney’s office alleges that Bonham did give teens marijuana.

The case against the 61-year-old doctor is the result of a multi-agency probe that was spearheaded by the Santa Clara County Specialized Enforcement Team.

Bonham is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 18. He was released from jail on $1 million bail.

Charges against Bonham include possession of methamphetamine for sale, prescribing without legitimate medical purpose, prescribing to addicts, possession of psilocybin mushrooms, possession of ecstasy and possession of marijuana for sale. If convicted, Bonham faces up to 25 years in prison.

Bonham’s roommate, 32-year-old James Schneider, was also charged with three drug-related felonies.